Getting ready to brew my first ever batch of mead!!!

[Chalfrune]

Hey all, I'm new here. So I'll start by introducing myself. My name is Josh, and I live in the great state of Indiana!!!


Anyways, I have brewed several batches of beer, as well as a couple batches of wine. So I decided to try a batch of mead. I've browsed TONS of pages, and decided I'd like to brew a strawberry mead.


Here is where my questions come in.


1) how much honey would you guys recommend for a sweeter mead? The recipe's I've found using strawberries give very little help.

B) any one wanna help direct me with the "other stuff" needed to brew mead? I have all the fermenters and stuff from brewing beer, as well as bottles and all that.

III) any other advice for me as a first time "meader"????

 

[SouthernYankee]

Welcome!
Ive just did my very first mead tonight. It was a JAOM. You can look it up under the recipe section under mead.

First thing you need to ask yourself..How big of a mead do you want (to include how much honey you will need)? I myself am starting out small. 1 gal to start off with. From there I can see if the wife and I like the taste of it etc...If we do, then I can always make a bigger batch.

Just get yourself a few 1 gal jugs and go from there. If you already make wine and beer then I'm sure you have 98% of the equipment that you need.

Good luck!

 

[Chalfrune]

I guess I was vague with my original post. I was planning to make a 5 gallon batch since all my beer/wine stuff is for 5 gallon batches.


As for asking about "other stuff" I guess what I was referring to was what kind of enzymes, and all that would I want for a typical strawberry honey mead?

I have a recipe for a strawberry/banana mead I got off of here. That's what I plan to follow...


( I have enough gear that I could do a second batch, so assuming first batch goes well I'm gonna make a second batch in about another month or so...)


I also have enough bottles to make about 20 batches.

Lol... Blessed by the wine fairy that a local wine shop gave me 26 cases of wine bottles. 12 to a case

 

[Chalfrune]

Sorry, energizer... Not enzyme... (I've been up for 20 hours, and my brain didn't catch the typo...

Also, what kinda nutrients??? My local home brew shop is all about beer, and basically told me that mead was a waste of time so they aren't getting any of my business anymore.

 

[SouthernYankee]

Blessed by the wine fairy that a local wine shop gave me 26 cases of wine bottles. 12 to a case

Damn man, thats like 450$ at my local Shop.

 

[SouthernYankee]

Things you might want to pick up..
Tartaric Acid
Malic Acid
Yeast Nutrient
Tanning (Grape)
Campden Tables

etc......

Also Ive picked up a few books off of Amazon about making mead...All of them have recipes and explain what goes into a batch..

 

[SouthernYankee]

My local home brew shop is all about beer, and basically told me that mead was a waste of time so they aren't getting any of my business anymore.

Yep, time to find a new Shop! That's some BS right there!

 

[Chalfrune]

After some more reading, I'm thinking about using this recipe... I know it's not the strawberry banana one, but after asking my fiancé, she doe voted the first one as She doesn't like banana's! Lol

12 Pounds Light Amber Honey


12 Pounds of Frozen Strawberries


* 2 Quarts Welch's White Grape Cherry 100% Juice


2 teaspoons of yeast nutrients


Wyeast 4184 Sweet Mead


1 Gallons of Water



2 questions, would Costco honey work for this?

And what exactly are yeast nutrients? I've added what all the previous posters told me I wanna pick up to my shopping list, but when it says "yeast nutrients" what exactly ingredients is it referring to?

 

[Chalfrune]

Lastly...

Things you might want to pick up..

Tartaric Acid

Malic Acid

Yeast Nutrient

Tanning (Grape)

Campden Tables



etc......



Also Ive picked up a few books off of Amazon about making mead...All of them have recipes and explain what goes into a batch..

Added all these ingredients to my shopping list... However, what quantities should I buy? Get the "bulk jug" knowing most of these will hold well for future batches??? Get only what I need now???


And what are some good books to buy? There are hundreds of mead books... What were some u found extremely helpful???

 

[Descender]

The Complete Meadmaker by Kem Schramm. And your going to need more water in your recipe

 

[Chalfrune]

Lol I know I will.... That 1 gallon is just what's used to clean out the honey containers... Lol....

It's gonna make a 5 gallon batch...